India and the Largest Election in the World

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India and the Largest Election in the World

The world 's biggest democracy just had an election.
The world 's biggest democratic election... — Marathon election...
A mammoth undertaking... — The world 's biggest exercise in democracy.
In India, voters picked its central government for the next five years.
An eighth of the world 's population was eligible to vote in this election.
This year, 2019, there are 900 million eligible voters in India,
making this the largest democratic exercise in the history of humanity.
But this isn't a video about Indian politics,
because before India 's people can even cast their vote, the election needs to come to them.
Polling stations need to be set up wherever people live.
And in one of the largest and most populous countries in the world, that isn't an easy task.
India has to reach voters in coastal cities in the south,
in the rural regions of the west and jungles to the east, and everywhere in between.
And what's more, they want every Indian citizen to be within 2 kilometers of a voting station.
That's only about 25 city blocks, no matter where you are in the country.
It's an incredibly ambitious goal and yet, somehow they're able to do it.
This is the biggest election in the world and I wanted to know, how does it work?
Every election, a team of government officials and security forces get on a boat in the east of India
to take off towards this island.
They travel about 100 kilometers to get here, all to securely deliver these : electronic voting machines, or EVM s ;
the instrument that logs India 's votes ; the heart of this elaborate election process.
India has 2. 3 million voting machines for its 900 million voters.
So getting these machines close to every voter is a big logistical undertaking.
That's why India doesn't have a single election day.
Instead it's closer to an election month with multiple phases that last weeks.
This process takes more than 11 million election officials and security forces,
who move from polling station to polling station to polling station,
from densely populated cities to the rural areas where the majority of Indians live.

The world 's biggest democracy just had an election.
The
had
an
's
just
world
biggest
democracy
election
The world 's biggest democratic election... — Marathon election...
The
's
world
biggest
election
democratic
Marathon
A mammoth undertaking... — The world 's biggest exercise in democracy.
A
The
in
's
exercise
world
biggest
democracy
mammoth
undertaking
In India, voters picked its central government for the next five years.
five
for
the
its
India
In
next
picked
years
central
government
voters
An eighth of the world 's population was eligible to vote in this election.
in
the
to
of
this
was
An
's
eighth
world
population
vote
election
eligible
This year, 2019, there are 900 million eligible voters in India,
are
This
in
India
there
year
million
voters
eligible
making this the largest democratic exercise in the history of humanity.
in
the
of
this
history
making
exercise
largest
humanity
democratic
But this isn't a video about Indian politics,
a
about
this
But
Indian
isn't
video
politics
because before India 's people can even cast their vote, the election needs to come to them.
the
to
can
come
India
them
people
's
their
needs
because
before
even
cast
vote
election
Polling stations need to be set up wherever people live.
be
to
need
up
people
live
set
wherever
stations
Polling
And in one of the largest and most populous countries in the world, that isn't an easy task.
and
in
the
that
of
And
an
one
easy
isn't
most
world
countries
largest
populous
task
India has to reach voters in coastal cities in the south,
in
the
India
reach
south
cities
has to
coastal
voters
in the rural regions of the west and jungles to the east, and everywhere in between.
and
in
the
to
between
of
west
east
everywhere
jungles
regions
rural
And what's more, they want every Indian citizen to be within 2 kilometers of a voting station.
be
a
to
more
they
of
And
want
what's
every
Indian
station
within
kilometers
citizen
voting
That's only about 25 city blocks, no matter where you are in the country.
are
you
in
the
about
That's
city
country
blocks
only
where
no matter
It's an incredibly ambitious goal and yet, somehow they're able to do it.
and
It's
do
to
it
yet
an
they're
able
goal
incredibly
somehow
ambitious
This is the biggest election in the world and I wanted to know, how does it work?
is
and
I
This
in
the
to
know
it
how
work
does
world
wanted
biggest
election
Every election, a team of government officials and security forces get on a boat in the east of India
and
a
in
the
on
get
of
India
east
team
boat
Every
security
forces
government
election
officials
to take off towards this island.
to
this
island
take off
towards
They travel about 100 kilometers to get here, all to securely deliver these : electronic voting machines, or EVM s ;
get
to
all
They
about
or
here
travel
s
these
securely
deliver
machines
kilometers
electronic
voting
EVM
the instrument that logs India 's votes ; the heart of this elaborate election process.
the
that
heart
of
this
India
's
logs
process
instrument
elaborate
election
votes
India has 2. 3 million voting machines for its 900 million voters.
for
its
has
India
million
machines
voters
voting
So getting these machines close to every voter is a big logistical undertaking.
is
a
to
close
getting
every
big
So
these
machines
undertaking
voter
logistical
That's why India doesn't have a single election day.
a
have
day
That's
doesn't
India
why
single
election
Instead it's closer to an election month with multiple phases that last weeks.
with
that
to
it's
an
last
Instead
month
weeks
closer
multiple
phases
election
This process takes more than 11 million election officials and security forces,
and
This
more
than
million
takes
process
security
forces
election
officials
who move from polling station to polling station to polling station,
to
from
move
who
station
polling
from densely populated cities to the rural areas where the majority of Indians live.
the
to
of
from
live
Indians
where
cities
areas
majority
rural
densely
populated